    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book III)]
    [November 1, 2004]
    [Pages 2901-2907]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania
    November 1, 2004

        The President. Thank you all. Thank you all for coming. Thanks for
    being here. I am so honored so many came out to say hello. I'm here to
    ask for your vote and ask for your help. It is close to voting time, and
    I'm out here to ask you to get our fellow Republicans and wise
    independents and discerning Democrats here in western Pennsylvania to do
    our duty and go to the polls tomorrow. And remind your friends and
    neighbors, if they want a safer America and a stronger America and a
    better America, to put me and Dick Cheney back
    into office.
        Perhaps the most important reason to put me back in is so that
    Laura will be the First Lady for 4 more years. I
    regret that she's not here. We started----
        Audience members. Aw-w-w!
        The President. I understand. [Laughter] We were campaigning together
    yesterday.* She's off on her own for a while,
    which is wise use of her time. [Laughter] A lot of people have come to
    know her like I know her. She is a warm, compassionate, great First
    Lady.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        *White House correction.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        I'm proud of my runningmate, Dick Cheney. I
    really don't intend to insult anybody who's follically challenged--
    [laughter]--but I readily concede that the Vice President does not have
    the waviest hair in the race. [Laughter] The people of western
    Pennsylvania will be pleased to know I didn't pick him because of his
    hairdo. [Laughter] I picked him because of his judgment and his
    experience. He's getting the job done.
        I want to thank Curt and Shonda
    Schilling for taking time out of a busy
    life to come and endorse my candidacy for President. We all know him as
    a great baseball player. I know him as a great dad, a wonderful husband,
    a man of enormous character and value. I'm proud to have his support.
    And Santorum talks about Shonda lobbying the
    Congress; she's pretty effective about lobbying the President too.
    [Laughter] I want to thank them for their concern, their care, and their
    compassion. Thank you all for coming.
        I want to thank my friend the Senator from Pennsylvania, Ricky
    Santorum. I wish Senator Arlen
    Specter all the best. When you put me in, put
    him in too. I appreciate Congressman Tim Murphy,
    his dedication and service in the United States Congress. I want to
    thank Congresswoman Melissa Hart for her
    service. I want to thank all the candidates who are here, those running
    statewide and those running locally. I want to thank my friend Lynn
    Swann for his friendship and leadership.
        I want to thank Mark Wills and Daron
    Norwood for being here today. Both of them are
    fine singers.
        I want to thank the Wingmen for Bush. They are a coalition of guys I
    served with. I am honored they're here. I appreciate your friendship.
    Thank you all for taking time to come.
        Most of all, I want to thank the grassroots activists for being
    here. I want to thank you for putting up the signs. I want to thank you
    for making the phone calls. I want to thank you for what you have done
    and what you're going to do over the next 24 hours. By turning out the
    vote, by finding people who are concerned about the future of this
    country, we are going to carry Pennsylvania and win a great victory on
    Tuesday.
        Tomorrow the people of this good State and the people of our Nation
    will be heading to the polls. And I'm excited about election day, and
    I'm optimistic about the future of this country. You know, one of my
    favorite sayings comes from a fellow Texan who said this: He said,
    ``Sarah and I live on the east side of the mountain.

    [[Page 2902]]

    It is the sunrise side, not the sunset side. It is the side to see the
    day that is coming, not to see the day that is gone.'' During the course
    of this campaign, my opponent has spent a lot
    of time talking about the day that is gone. I'm talking about the day
    that's coming.
        I see a great day coming for America. I see a day where prosperity
    reaches every corner of this country. I see a day where every child is
    able to read and write and add and subtract. I see a day in which this
    world becomes more peaceful so our children and our grandchildren can
    grow up in the peace we all want. I see a day that's better for every
    American. And tomorrow, the American people have a chance to bring that
    better day by voting for Bush-Cheney.
        The American President must lead with clarity and purpose. The role
    of the President is not to follow the path of the latest polls. The
    President must lead based on principle and conviction and conscience.
        During these 4 years, I've learned that whatever your strengths are,
    you're going to need them, and whatever your weaknesses are, people will
    notice them. Sometimes I'm a little too blunt. I get that from my
    mother. Sometimes I mangle the English
    language. [Laughter] I get that from my dad. [Laughter] But all the time, whether you agree with me
    or not, you know where I stand, what I believe, and where I'm going to
    lead.
        This election----
        Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
        The President. This election comes down to clear choices on five
    vital issues facing our families. And the first clear choice concerns
    your family's budget. When I ran for President 4 years ago, I pledged to
    lower taxes for American families. And I kept my word. We doubled the
    child credit to help moms and dads. We reduced the marriage penalty. We
    believe the Tax Code ought to encourage, not penalize marriage. We
    lowered taxes on everybody who pays taxes.
        As a result of these policies, our economy is growing at rates as
    fast as any in nearly 20 years. Real after-tax income--the money in your
    pocket--is up by 10 percent since I've been your President.
    Homeownership rate is an alltime high in America, and more minority
    families own a home today than ever before in our history.
        Pennsylvania's farmers are making a living. The entrepreneurial
    spirit is strong. Small businesses are flourishing all across the State.
    We've added 1.9 million new jobs in the last 13 months. The national
    unemployment rate is 5.4 percent. Let me put that in perspective for
    you: That's lower than the average rate of the 1970s, the 1980s, and the
    1990s. And the unemployment rate here in Pennsylvania is 5.3 percent.
    This economy is strong, and it is getting stronger.
        People in western Pennsylvania need to hear this message. I know
    this State depends on a healthy steel and coal economy. And we will keep
    taxes low. We will insist on free and fair trade, and we will make those
    industries strong so the Pennsylvania recovery keeps on creating jobs
    for the Pennsylvania people.
        My opponent has an economic plan.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. Let me remind you of his history. He's been in the United States Senate 20 years. He's voted to
    raise taxes 98 times.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. That's five times for every year he's been in the Senate. I would call that a predictable
    pattern, a leading indicator. [Laughter] And when you couple that with
    the fact that he's promised 2.2 trillion in new spending----
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. ----you begin to get a sense of his economic plan. That's 2.2 trillion with a ``T.'' That is a
    lot even for a Senator from Massachusetts. They asked him how he was
    going to pay for it. He said he'll tax the rich. You have heard that
    before. You can't raise enough money to

    [[Page 2903]]

    pay for 2.2 trillion. There is a tax gap. There is a gap between what he
    has promised and what he can deliver, and given his record, guess who is
    going to get to fill that tax gap?
        Audience member. We are!
        The President. Hard-working people of western Pennsylvania. We are
    not going to let him tax you; we're going to
    carry Pennsylvania and win on November the 2d.
        The second clear choice involves the quality of life for your
    families. I ran for President to challenge the soft bigotry of low
    expectations by reforming our public schools. And I have kept my word.
    We passed education reforms to bring high standards to our classrooms.
    Math and reading scores are now on the rise. We're closing the
    achievement gap by helping minority children. My vision for a new term
    is to build on these reforms and extend them to our high schools so that
    no child is left behind in America.
        We'll continue to improve life for our families by making health
    care more affordable and available. We will expand health savings
    accounts. We will allow small businesses to join together so they can
    buy insurance at the same discount that big companies are able to do.
        We will help our families in need, and we will do something about
    these junk lawsuits that are making it hard to find good doctors in
    Pennsylvania. We have a difference of opinion on these lawsuits. My
    opponent has voted against medical liability
    reform not once, twice, three times but 10 times as a Member of the
    United States Senate.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. He put a personal-injury
    trial lawyer on the ticket.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. I understand the problem you face here in
    Pennsylvania. I've talked to too many ob-gyns in this State that are
    having problems staying in practice. I've talked to too many expectant
    moms that are worried about their health care. I'm standing with the
    doctors of Pennsylvania. I'm standing with the patients of Pennsylvania.
    I am for medical liability reform--now. In all we do to improve health
    care, we will make sure the decisions are made by doctors and patients,
    not by officials in Washington, DC.
        My opponent takes a different approach. He
    voted for the education reforms but now wants to weaken the
    accountability standards.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. He's proposed a big-
    Government health care plan. I remember that debate when he looked
    square in the camera and he said the Government didn't have anything to
    do with it, when he was talking about his health care plan. I could
    barely contain myself. The Government has got a lot to do with it.
    Eighty percent of the people end up on a Government-run plan. The wrong
    prescription for American families is to federalize your health care. He
    can run from his record, but he cannot hide.
        The third clear choice involves your retirement. Our Nation has made
    a solemn commitment to America's seniors on Social Security and
    Medicare. When I ran for President 4 years ago, I promised to keep that
    commitment and improve Medicare by adding prescription drug coverage. I
    have kept my word. Seniors are already getting discounts on medicine
    with drug discount cards. And beginning in 2006, all seniors will be
    able to get prescription drug coverage under Medicare.
        My opponent has a record. He voted against
    the Medicare bill that included prescription drug coverage.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. And his campaign is trying to scare our seniors when
    it comes to Social Security. But he forgets to
    mention that he is the one who voted to increase taxes on Social
    Security benefits eight times.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. I have kept the promise of Social Security, and we
    will always keep

    [[Page 2904]]

    the promise of Social Security for our seniors. And baby boomers like me
    and some others out there I see are in good shape when it comes to the
    Social Security trust.
        But we need to to worry about our children and our grandchildren.
    That's why I believe younger workers ought to be able to take some of
    their payroll taxes and set up a personal savings account, an account
    they call their own. In a new term, I will bring people together to
    strengthen Social Security for generations to come.
        The fourth clear choice in this election is on the values that are
    so crucial to keeping our families strong. I want the Democrats and
    Republicans, independents of western Pennsylvania to understand this: I
    stand for marriage and family, which are the foundation of our society.
    I stand for a culture of life in which every person matters and every
    being counts. I proudly signed the ban on partial-birth abortions. I
    stand for the appointment of Federal judges who know the difference
    between personal opinion and the strict interpretation of the law.
        On issue after--on these issues, my opponent and I are miles apart. He voted against the ban on
    partial-birth abortion.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. He voted against the
    Defense of Marriage Act.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. There is a mainstream in American politics, and John
    Kerry sits on the far left bank. He can run
    from his record, but he cannot hide.
        The final choice----
        Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
        The President. The final choice in this election is the most
    important of all because it concerns the security of your family. All
    progress in every other issue depends on the safety of our citizens. The
    most solemn duty of the American President is to protect the American
    people. If this country shows uncertainty or weakness during these
    troubled times, the world will drift toward tragedy. This is not going
    to happen on my watch.
        Our strategy is clear. We are protecting our homeland. Tom
    Ridge, the former Governor of this great State, is
    doing a wonderful job. We're reforming and strengthening our
    intelligence capabilities. We are transforming our All-Volunteer Army.
    There will be no draft. We are determined. We are relentless. We are
    steadfast. We're staying on the offensive. We are fighting the
    terrorists abroad so we do not have to face them here at home.
        We're succeeding. Afghanistan is free and an ally in the war on
    terror. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are making raids and capturing
    terrorist leaders. Libya is dismantling its weapons program. The army of
    a free Iraq is fighting for freedom. Al Qaida no longer controls
    Afghanistan. We've shut down its camps there. We are systematically
    destroying the Al Qaida network.
        We are making progress on protecting the American people because
    we've got a great military. We will keep it a great military. And I want
    to thank those who wear our Nation's uniform for your service. I want to
    thank the military families who are here for your sacrifice for our
    country. I want to thank the veterans who are here for having set such a
    great example to those who wear the uniform. And I assure you, we'll
    make sure our troops have that which they need to complete their
    missions.
        That's why, in September of 2003, I went to the United States
    Congress and asked for $87 billion to support our troops in combat. It
    was a very important funding request. My opponent said on national TV that it would be irresponsible to vote
    against the funding for our troops. And then, because the political
    polls changed, he changed his position, and he did the irresponsible
    thing, and he voted against funding for our troops.
        Audience members. Flip-flop! Flip-flop! Flip-flop!
        The President. And then he entered the
    flip-flop hall of fame by saying this--upon

    [[Page 2905]]

    his entry, here is what he said: ``I actually did vote for the 87
    billion, right before I voted against it.''
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. I doubt many people in western Pennsylvania talk that
    way. [Laughter] He's given a lot of
    explanations since that vote, but I think the most revealing is this. He
    said, ``The whole thing was a complicated matter.'' [Laughter] My fellow
    citizens, there is nothing complicated about supporting our troops in
    combat.
        Senator Kerry's record on national
    security has far deeper problems than election-year reversals. For 20
    years, on the largest national security issues, he has been consistently
    wrong. During the cold war--I want the citizens of this--of western
    Pennsylvania to hear the truth here--during the cold war, Senator Kerry
    voted against critical weapons systems and opposed President Ronald
    Reagan's policy of peace through strength.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. History has shown that Senator Kerry was wrong and President Ronald Reagan was right.
        When former President Bush assembled an
    international coalition to drive Saddam Hussein from Kuwait, Senator Kerry
    voted against the use of force to liberate Kuwait.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. History has shown that Senator Kerry was wrong and former President Bush was right.
        One year after----

    [At this point, there was a disruption in the audience.]

        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. One year after the first bombing of the World Trade
    Center, the Senator proposed massive cuts in
    America's intelligence budget, so massive----

    [The disruption in the audience continued.]

        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. So massive that his colleague Ted Kennedy opposed them. Well, history has shown that Senator
    Kerry was wrong--and we got to be fair--
    Senator Kennedy was right. [Laughter]
        We have a difference of opinion. And as you gather up the vote,
    remind people about this difference of opinion as to how to better
    secure our Nation's families----

    [The disruption in the audience continued.]

        The President. My opponent suggested
    America must pass a ``global test'' before we defend ourselves.
        Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
        The President. I will always work with our friends and allies, but I
    will never turn over America's national security decisions to leaders of
    other countries.
        Senator Kerry says September the 11th
    didn't change him much at all. It changed me. It changed my outlook
    about how to better defend this country. I remember going to the ruins
    of the Twin Towers on September the 14th, 2001. It's a day I'll never
    forget. There were workers in hardhats there yelling at me at the top of
    their lungs, ``Whatever it takes.'' I remember the man who came out of
    the rubble, and he grabbed me by the arm. He looked me in the eye, and
    he said, ``Do not let me down.'' Ever since that day, I get up every
    morning trying to figure out how to better protect our country. I will
    never relent in defending this country, whatever it takes.
        Over the next 4 years, we will defend this country. We will use
    every asset at our disposal, and one of the most powerful assets we have
    is freedom. I believe in the power of liberty to transform societies.
        I want the youngsters here to realize what has happened in a short
    period of time in Afghanistan. It wasn't all that long ago that young
    girls could not go to school, and their mothers were taken into the
    public squares and whipped and sometimes shot in a sports stadium,
    because the ideologues of hate, the Taliban, had such a dim view of the
    world.

    [[Page 2906]]

        Because we acted to defend ourselves, because we upheld the doctrine
    that said, ``If you harbor a terrorist, you're equally as guilty as the
    terrorist,'' millions of citizens went to the polls to vote for their
    President. The first voter was a 19-year-old woman. Freedom is on the march. And free societies help us
    keep the peace we all want.
        Iraq is still dangerous. That's because that country is headed
    toward democracy. There will be elections in Iraq in January. Think how
    far that country has come from the days of torture chambers and mass
    graves.
        I believe every person wants to live in a free society. I believe
    mothers and dads want to raise their children in a free and peaceful
    world. I believe this not because freedom is America's gift to the
    world; freedom is the Almighty God's gift to each man and woman in this
    world.
        Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
        The President. We are living in historic times, and a lot is at
    stake in this election. The future safety and prosperity of America are
    on the ballot. The truth of the matter is, this election comes down to
    who do you trust--who do you trust to make this country secure? Who do
    you trust to offer leadership and results in a time of challenge to
    America?
        If you believe that taxes should stay low so families can pay the
    bills and small businesses can expand and create jobs, I ask you to come
    stand with me.
        If you believe in high standards for public schools, I ask you to
    come stand with me.
        If you believe that patients and doctors should be in charge of
    health care, I ask you to come stand with me.
        If you believe this Nation must honor the commitments of Medicare
    and strengthen Social Security for generations to come, I ask you to
    come stand with me.
        If you believe that this Nation should honor marriage and family and
    make a place for the weak and the vulnerable, I ask you to come stand
    with me.
        If you believe America should fight the war on terror with all our
    might and lead with unwavering confidence in our ideals, I ask you to
    come stand with me.
        If you are a Democrat who believes your party has turned too far to
    the left this year, I ask you to come stand with me.
        If you are a minority citizen and believe in free enterprise and
    good schools and the enduring values of family and faith, and if you are
    tired of your vote being taken for granted, I ask you to come stand with
    me.
        And if you are a voter who believes that the President of the United
    States should say what he means and do what he says and keep his word, I
    ask you to come stand with me.
        When I traveled your great State 4 years ago, I made a pledge that
    if elected, I would uphold the honor and the dignity of the office. With
    your help, with your hard work, I will do so for 4 more years.
        Thanks for coming. Thank you all.

    Note: The President spoke at 9:38 a.m. in the Post-Gazette Pavilion at
    Star Lake. In his remarks, he referred to Curt Schilling, pitcher, Major
    League Baseball Boston Red Sox, and his wife, Shonda; entertainers Mark
    Wills and Daron Norwood; Lynn C. Swann, chairman, President's Council on
    Physical Fitness and Sports; and former President Saddam Hussein of
    Iraq.

    [[Page 2907]]